FactCheck and the one-way hash argument
I find that I repeat the phrase, "It's more complicated than that," over and over again until even I'm sick of hearing it. Especially when it comes to politics. I just hate political blurbs. I pretty much assume that any one-line argument for policy is wrong, and that seems to be statistically accurate.
While I am continually coming to terms with just how hard it is to be an informed voter, and indeed that everyone must fall short of the goal, I'm infuriated by just how quickly we eat up arguments that agree with our preconceptions and reject counterarguments as lies. We're a manipulable voter base. We get angry and go out and march based on something somebody told us that he's pretty sure a guy he trusts told him. Why can't we be more skeptical? Why is it so hard to have any kind of reasonable discussion of policy?
So, anyway, FactCheck has a nice article on one-way hash arguments, i.e. an argument that is simple to make, but so complicated to rebut that nobody pays attention.
http://wordpress.asc.upenn.edu/2009/09/health-care-and-the-one-way-hash/
I heart FactCheck. They make me feel less like I'm shouting into the void.
While I am continually coming to terms with just how hard it is to be an informed voter, and indeed that everyone must fall short of the goal, I'm infuriated by just how quickly we eat up arguments that agree with our preconceptions and reject counterarguments as lies. We're a manipulable voter base. We get angry and go out and march based on something somebody told us that he's pretty sure a guy he trusts told him. Why can't we be more skeptical? Why is it so hard to have any kind of reasonable discussion of policy?
So, anyway, FactCheck has a nice article on one-way hash arguments, i.e. an argument that is simple to make, but so complicated to rebut that nobody pays attention.
http://wordpress.asc.upenn.edu/2009/09/health-care-and-the-one-way-hash/
I heart FactCheck. They make me feel less like I'm shouting into the void.